Automatic operation control device of an automotive vehicle

ABSTRACT

An automatic operation control device for an automotive vehicle rolling along a given trail. A data registering member stores parameters relating to the maximum permissible speed as a function of the distance travelled, and parameters relating to the required time interval as a function of the distance travelled. Means are provided for reading these two sets of data. Comparator means compare the real speed with the required speed and the real time with the required time, for controlling the traction and braking means of the vehicle.

United States Patent [1 Riondel 1 Aug. 14, 1973 AUTOMATIC OPERATIONCONTROL DEVICE OF AN AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE [75] Inventor: Pierre Riondel,Geneva, Switzerland [73] Assignee: Societe Anonyme des Atelier-s deSecheron, Geneva, Switzerland 22 Filed: May 18, 1972 [21]Appl.No.:254,539

Related U.S. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No.21,385, March 20,

1970, abandoned.

30 Foreign Application Priority Data April 23, 1969 Switzerland..'.';6is7/69 [56] References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS1,438,771 4/1969 Germany 246/187 B oooooouoe ueooouooe ouooaoouooononeoeo oouoooon oouooo Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza AssistantE qminer- Gegrgg lliibman A "arra maritime. Stevens, REBeYt'J. Printers.

57 ABSTRACT An automatic operation control device for an automotivevehicle rolling along a given trail. A data registering member storesparameters relating to the maximum permissible speed as a function ofthe distance travelled, and parameters relating to the required timeinterval as a function of the distance travelled. Means are provided forreading these two sets of data. Comparator means compare the real speedwith the required speed and the real time with the required time, forcontrolling the traction and braking means of the vehicle.

1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures 4/1969 Germany 246/1828 PAIENIEU AUG 1 4 msSHEET? 0f 2 Fig.3

AUTOMATIC OPERATION CONTROL DEVICE OF AN AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE Thisapplication is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser.No. 21,385 filed Mar. 20, 1970 now abandoned.

In the automatic control of an automotive vehicle, for instance of atractor vehicle of a railway train, it is necessary for the automaticcontrol device to take into consideration several criteria of which themost important is obviously the maximum permissible speed, thisparameter being a function of the distance travelled. Another criterion,intervening in the control of the minimum energy consumption (see SwissPat. No. 464,283), is the order to cut off the current. This order maybe given either by calculation at the time of departure from the stationthe time interval after which the current must be cut off, or, as in thepatent mentioned above, by comparing a function of the distancetravelled from the station, with the real time. The required time mayalso be determined by fixing the times of passage of the train atdifferent points of the path. Up to now the parameters relating to thevarious criteria to be observed were registered on different components,whether these parameters were to be brought to the attention of theengine driver, or to be used for an automatic control.

The purpose of the invention is to simplify the control device byproviding the same registering member for the various operationalcriteria.

In order to achieve this result, it is obviously necessary to cause theregistering member to advance as a function of one and the sameparameter which must be the distance travelled, in order to satisfy themaximum speed criterion, which is clearly a function of the distancetravelled.

According to the present invention, the device for the control of anautomotive vehicle as a function of the travelled distance comprises a.a data registering member located on said vehicle for storing parametersrelating to the desired speed of said vehicle and to the required timeinterval as functions of said distance travelled, said data registeringmember having a first position indicating whether the output of saiddata registering member relates to the quantity speed or time, a secondposition indicating whether the output relates to the level or slope ofsaid quantity, a third position indicating the value of the level orslope of said quantity and a fourth position indicating the value of thedistance which must be travelled before the level or slope of saidquantity is to be modified,

b. means connected to said data registering member for reading theinformation stored in said data registering member and transforming saidinformation into desired values which are comparable with measuredvalues of the actual speed and actual time, said means includingintegration means for obtaining distance dependent integrations of theparameters for the change of the desired speed and time respectively,and

c. comparator means for comparing said distance dependent integrationswith the actual speed and actual elapsed time, the output of saidcomparator means controlling the traction and braking of said vehicle.

The drawing illustrates, by way of an example, an embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 1 is a'block schema of a device enabling the automatic control tobe effected as function of two criteria: the maximum permissible speed,and the required time.

FIG. 2 shows two curves V (E) and T (E), i.e., speed and time asfunction of the distance travelled, according to a real timetable.

FIG. 3 shows also two curves V (E) and T (E), but

here these functions are drafted according to a minimum energyconsumption.

The illustrated device comprises a single registering member 3 capableof being moved in regular steps in the direction of the arrow 4 underthe control of an advancing mechanism 5. This member is, in thedescribed embodiment, constituted by a perforated card. The devicecomprises a reading head provided with twelve feelers 6-17, eachcooperating with a track on the card 3. The feeler 6 indicates which ofthe two functions V or T has to be modified. If V, the feeler 7indicates if it is the level of V or the slope dV/dE which must bemodified; if T, the feeler 7 indicates if it is the level of T or theslope dT/dE which must be modified..The set of feelers 8-11 indicatesthe value of the new parameter. As the feelers operate in the binarycode, the four feelers 8 to 11 are thus capable of registering 2 16different values. As for the six feelers 12 to l7 they indicate thevalue of the distance which must be travelled up to a modification ofone of the values V T, dV/dE or dT/dE.

The device comprises four logical gates 18 to 21, respectively actuatingthe gate 18 when a modification of the slope dV/dE of V is to beeffected, the gate 19 when a modification of the level of the speed V isto be effected, the gate 20 when a modification of the slope dT/dE is tobe effected and the gate 21 when a modification of the required time Tis to be effected.

The circuit destined to generate the function V=V (E) comprises inaddition a memory 22, which, when the gate 18 is actuated, registers thevalue read by the four feelers 8 to 11, a pulse generator 23 which emitsa train of pulses the number of which is proportional to" thecoefficient dV/dE registered by the memory 22, every time it receives apulse in E U, a cyclic counter 24 totalizing the pulses received fromthe generator 23 and the registered number of which represents the valueof the function V V (E), a speed comparator 25 comparing the value readby the feelers 8 to 11 with the value of V registered in 24, a gate 26receiving the output signals of the gate 19 and of the speed comparator25 and finally a pulse generator 27 controlled by the gate 26 and theoutput signal of which constitutes a second input for the counter 24.The memory 22 is returned to zero by a pulse received in R0 from thegate 26. The device also comprises a pulse generator, which is notshown, which emits a pulse EU every time the train has travelled a unitdistance.

The generator of the function 7 T (E) comprises the same components 28to 33 which are arranged and operate in the same manner as for thegenerator of the function V= V (E).

The advancing mechanism 5 of the registering support 3 is controlled bythe pulses ID emitted by the space comparator 34 each time that thenumber of pulses EU registered by the space counter 35 becomes equal tothe number read by the feelers 12 to 17. The output pulse ID of thespace comparator 34 also constitutes the return to zero pulse R0 of thespace counter 35, so that when the support 3 is moved on by one step bythe emission of a pulse 1D the counter 35 starts counting again fromzero.

The function V is applied to the input of a comparator 36 the otherinput of which is constituted by the real speed provided by thetachometer 37. When V is smaller than the speed indication provided bythe tachometer 37, the output signal of the comparator 36 causes thebraking members in 41 to be actuated and is applied in addition to agate 38, the output signal of which controls the traction motors in 42.

The device comprises in addition a comparator 39 receiving the signal Ton-the one hand and on the other an indication of the real time providedby a clock 40. The output signal of this comparator constitutes thesecond input for the gate 38.

The device operates as follows: when the slope dV/dE has to be modifiedthe gate 18 is actuated and the memory 22 registers the value read bythe feelers 8 to 11. Every time the train runs through a unit distance,a pulse EU is applied to the pulse generator 23 the output of whichproduces a train of pulses the number of which is proportional to thecoefficient registered in the memory 22. These pulses are totalized inthe counter 24, the output signal of which is thus the value V. If thiscoefficient d V/dE is equal to zero, the output signal of the memory 22is equal to zero and the generator 23 ceases to produce pulses. When thevalue of the level V is to be modified, it is the gate 19 which isactuated and if the value registered in the counter 24 is not the sameas that read by the feelers 8 to 11, the logical output ID of thecomparator is so that the gate 26 emits an output signal which, on theone hand brings the memory 22 back to zero, and on the other, starts therapid counting generator 27 which emits pulses until the valueregistered in the counter is equal to that read by the feelers 8 to 11.

Referring to the relation between memory 22 and pulse generator 23, thecounter in 23 is preadjustable so that each impulse EU puts it in aposition corresponding to the inverse binary value of the output of 22thus causing the oscillator to operate until the counter, actuated bythe oscillator, has reached the zero position. lf sensor 6 is switchedon and operating, function T is in operation through gates 20 and 21. 1fsensor 6 is not operating, function V is in operation through gates 18and 19. The switching of sensor 6 can be made by the perforated card 3.

As the generator of the function T operates in the same manner, itsoperation will not be described.

All of the elements used in this system are well known and arecommercially available. For example, each of the following units shownin FIG. 2 can be obtained from the Texas Instruments Company under thelisted serial numbers.

Element Serial No.

22, 28 and 34 7475 23 and 29 c ator 74192 7473 24, 30, 35 and 40 749325, 31 and 39 7486 7430 Elements 27, 33 and 37 are simply tachometers.Element 36 can be realized with a digital-analog decoder number 320 ofthe Hybrid System Corp., or by use of the device shown in the Motorolapublication "Analog to Digital Conversion Techniques" AN 471, pages 19.Thus, each element in FIG. 1 is easily realized with commerciallyavailable integrated circuits and similar readily available components.

FIG. 2 illustrates two curves 1 and 2 representing the maximumpermissible speed V as a function of the distance travelled E and therequired time T in function of the same distance travelled E. It may beseen that these curves can be wholly determined, by specifying, at eachone of the points where they undergo a change, their level on the onehand, and on the other their slope. The pointsE, E, of the path in whichsuch changes occur are not necessarily equidistant. 1n the following itwill be supposed that for each of the points E, E, only one of thecurves undergoes a change, which in practice does not imply anylimitation,as an interval E, E,,-, separating two points may be chosento be very small, for instance to be equal to' 10 meters.

FIG. 3 shows another explanation of the working of the system accordingto FIG. 1, based on minimal energy consumption.

Suppose a vehicle leaving A with increasing speed until B, runningthereafter with a lower increase between B and C, and thereafter withconstant speed (no increase) from C onwards. Suppose further that D isthe starting point of function T having a constant increase, and that Gis a point from which on the function V is strongly diminished. (i.e., adecrease of speed.

The memory 3 is a perforated card, each column of which corresponding toone of the points A, B, C, D, F and G.

When the train starts, column A of card 3 is read: track 6 is notperforated and track 7 is perforated, so that elements 18, 22, 23 and 24are energized, whereas tracks 8-11 give the slope of the function Vbetween A and B. The running of the train creates impulses EU which inturn create a regular dependency of the function V through 23. Theimpulses EU are counted by 35 and when their number reaches the lengthof distance AB marked in column A on the tracks 12-17, element 5(actuated by 34) shifts the perforated card forward by one step. Thencolumn B will present the same perforations a column A for the tracks 6and 7, so that the operation will be identical in B, but with othervalues given by tracks 8-17, which create a lower dependency of V duringa different distance.

At point C, one will find column C with tracks 6 and 7 not perforated.This time, elements 19, 25, 26, and 27 will be energized, reducing thespeed dependency to zero (through 22) and forcing the function V(through 24) to take a value corresponding to CG, if such had notalready been the case.

After CD is left behind, column D of the perforated card is read, track6 being then perforated and track 7 not perforated. Now elements 21, 31,32 and 33 are energized so as to take function T (30) back to itsstarting value. However, as function T should increase after D, oneselects a point F as close as possible to D, by making the distance(12-17) equal to one. At the first impulse EU the perforated card willbe shifled and column E will be read. Now tracks 6 and 7 are perforatedand elements 20, 28 and 29 are energized so as to reduce the slope offunction T. Thereafter, each impulse EU provokes an increase of functionT (30) by a value b. means connected to said data registering member forreading the information stored in'said data registering member andtransforming said information into desired values which are comparablewith What l claim is: v

l. A device for the control of an automotive vehicle as a function ofthe travelled distance comprising a. a data registering member locatedon said vehicle for sioring Parametets relating desired speed 5 measuredvalues of the actual speed and actual F f s g the a g 3: time, saidmeans including integration means for i 5 rave c 2 f "9 obtainingdistance dependent integrations of thetermg member having a firstposition indicating meters for the Chan 8 of the desired 5 ed andwhether the output of said data registering member I d 8 Pc relates tothe quantity speed or time, a second posi- 10 we an tion indicatingwhether the output relates to the comparafm l for Pomparmg said (Stancelevel or slope of said quantity, a third position indi- P mtegfat'onswith the P and eating the value of the level or slope of said quanma!elapsed "w the of said f p f tity and a fourth position indicating thevalue of the means controlling the traction and braking of said distancewhich must he travelled before the level or 5 vehicle. slope of saidquantity is to be modified,

1. A device for the control of an automotive vehicle as a function ofthe travelled distance comprising a. a data registering member locatedon said vehicle for storing parameters relating to the desired speed ofsaid vehicle and to the required time interval as functions of saiddistance travelled, said data registering member having a first positionindicating whether the output of said data registering member relates tothe quantity speed or time, a second position indicating whether theoutput relates to the level or slope of said quantity, a third positionindicating the value of the level or slope of said quantity and a fourthposition indicating the value of the distance which must be travelledbefore the level or slope of said quantity is to be modified, b. meansconnected to said data registering member for reading the informationstored in said data registering member and transforming said informationinto desired values which are comparable with measured values of theactual speed and actual time, said means including integration means forobtaining distance dependent integrations of the parameters for thechange of the desired speed and time resectively, and c. comparatormeans for comparing said distance dependant integrations with the actualspeed and actual elapsed time, the output of said comparator meanscontrolling the traction and braking of said vehicle.